Final Poster for THE HUNGER GAMES

We’re about nine weeks away from the much-hyped release of The Hunger Games. If you’ve somehow managed to go this long without hearing about the film adaptation of the popular young adult novel series by Suzanne Collins, you can get caught up on all of our previous coverage here. After all the trailers, images and promotional pages, Lionsgate has released one last poster to remind you that the world will be watching. As one of our most anticipated films of early 2012, we’ll be right there with you.

The Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in a futuristic thriller where citizens of different districts are forced into gladiatorial combat in which there can be only one survivor. The film, directed by Gary Ross, also stars Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz and will open on March 23rd. Hit the jump to check out the poster.

While The Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy, there is no guarantee that the film will be a success. For every Harry Potter or Twilight, there is an Eragon or The Golden Compass. However, Lionsgate is banking on The Hunger Games to be a strong contender to fill the current void in young adult movie franchises. Simon Beaufoy is reportedly typing away at a treatment of the second book, Catching Fire, which is arguably the strongest of the three. The sequel is set to release on November 22nd, 2013.